Weird coat smell

Abrams' coat kind of smells....stale? Not necessarily yeasty, but it has a distinct odor to it. I dont really know how to discribe it. Dry, stale, unclean? When you pet him and scratch his back, your hands smell like him. It also has this weird film on it, so it looks dull and when you pet him your hands feel odd. Not really greasy, just like you've touched something dirty.

After a bath his coat stays fresh smelling/looking for on a couple of days, then he's back to looking/smelling weird. He's not overly itchy (although he did have some weird scabby things pop up on his back a few weeks ago - they're gone now) and he isn't covered in dandruff or anything. I just don't really know what's going on?

Is there a supplement I can try adding to his food to see if it helps? I think I'm going to try some medicated baths to see if that makes a difference, and I can use my new vacuum as a blower so I can actually force dry his coat.

Anybody have any ideas of what's going on with his coat? Does it sound like an allergy...? (His ears are perfectly clean and he doesnt lick/chew anywhere like hes itchy.)

Sounds like maybe the skin's natural oils. My friend has a bloodhound which gets an odor also.

I found this online:

Certain breeds like Labradors or Chesapeake Bay Retrievers have natural oils that protect them from water and bramble. These natural oils repeal the water and with a good shake off these water retrieving dogs with a heavy undercoat can be virtually dry after a good swim. Because of these oils they tend to smell "doggy" quite often. Bathing your dog to often especially with oil stripping shampoos can create the opposite effect of what your trying to accomplish. Because the skin becomes dry, the skin may try to compensate and increase its oil production. Many times this can cause skin conditions where these glands become clogged and produce pustules (acne). Bathing more than once a month should be avoided unless your veterinarian suggests other wise.

Now that is something I didn't think of! I'll probably humor myself and go ahead with a medicated bath just to see, but otherwise that makes sense. I'll be sure when I bathe him I use a gentle shampoo to avoid stripping his coat, too.